Dropbox deprecates public folders

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For years now Dropbox has been the standard bearer for cloud sync and storage services. It’s beloved by geeks everywhere for its simplicity and features like selective sync and dead-simple sharing. It now appears that a change is in the works on that front, however: new Dropbox users will not receive a Public folder.

The Public folder offered users a convenient way to share files in bulk, but Dropboxers say that most of their users just don’t use it. With simple sharing now built in, it’s quickly become the preferred method — and not just by users. Dropbox no doubt prefers simple sharing links, too, because it gives them a chance to entice new users to sign up when they arrive on the landing page.

It’s important to note, however, that existing Dropbox accounts won’t notice the change. The Public folder is part of your Dropbox, and it’s there to stay.

Some developers who integrate their apps with Dropbox, however, will certainly notice. They won’t be able to rely on the wide-open folder to access scores of files any more –they’ll need to re-tool their apps to work with the simple sharing mechanism.

New Dropbox account holders also won’t be able to use their locker as a content delivery network for blogs, but they’ll still be able to share entire folders easily with contacts. All it takes is a quick invite email, and your family and friends can jump in and browse all those photos the mobile Dropbox app has been syncing to your account.